I had never been to a World Series Game before last night, Wednesday, October 27, 2010. I was serious that the baseball gods aligned and I was given two tickets to Game 1 of the World Series. So here’s my account:
Hopped on the bus round 2:30 p.m., don’t have the tix yet and still don’t believe that I’m really going, but had faith.
My stop was up, and headed down 3rd Street to the park
There’s that feeling…..after you cross Mission St. when heading to a game, you start joining fellow Giants fans as they start pouring in from other streets, parking garages, buses, etc. There’s just an unsaid unity as you walk to the ballpark.
A gentlemen on my left caught up with me, turned to me and said “You heading to the game?” with the enthusiasm of a 10-year-old but the face of a 46-year-old. “ Yes,” I said…….he replies “This is so exciting!” I replied “ It’s gonna be great!”……although I was still not sure if I was ultimately getting in.
I’m truckin’ along down 3rd street with intense focus and dodging casual walkers, ticket scalpers, and merchant vendors. I’m on a mission, don’t get in my way.
“Nice boots” I hear passing up a dude on my right. “Thanks” I say. Even compliments won’t slow me down.
Congested isn’t the word that does justice to what Willie Mays Plaza looked like an hour and a half prior to first pitch. It was a sea of beards, born again Christians, “Let Timmy Smoke” supporters, clowns, hippies, Ranger fans, cops, cameramen, reporters, and ME looking for my mom. Eeeek!
Walking all over looking for ma’……Found Her!!!! Thank god for the bright green backpack she decided to bring along. I had two requests for her and she came through; 1 bag of peanuts and some binoculars. Score…..she brought that and some other treats! Oh, and thank goodness she brought her camera because guess what, I whipped mine out to start taking photo’s and the battery died. GAME OVER.
We’re supposed to do the ticket hand off at 3:45…..it’s 3:40 and no word. I’m a little nervous.
3:47 – no word…….a little sweaty.
3:50 – There’s my Giant’s Fairy Godmother………and there are the two tickets! We’re in!
I’ve walked up the ramp from the Willie Mays gate a million times, and probably over a dozen times this season, but this time was completely different. It finally hit me as we passed up the first level, then Club level, that my mom and I were walking into a new element. This is the World Series. Holy Sh*&!
We finally get to our seats and the field is a mad house. Tons of media, lights, camera’s and there’s this funky camera they’ve anchored above the seats that’s basically on a zip line kind of apparatus. Fully controlled somewhere else in this madhouse.
I turn to my mom and ask “I wonder who’s singing the National Anthem?” She looks at me with a bit of a blank stare and says “Oh, I think I heard it’s John Legend.” WHAT!!?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW??????? JOHN LEGEND….THAT’S MY FUTURE BABIES DADDY. As soon as I heard this, someone could have thrown me off the View Reserved deck. I really could have skipped the game, watched Legend and died. WHA????!!!!!!!
The boys are filtering into the dugout and there’s Sergio Romo, or as my Giant’s homie and I call him, Garden Knomo (cause duh, he looks like a Garden Knome) is totally getting down in the dugout to whatever song is blaring over the PA system @ AT&T. These guys are ready to rock. I see Pablo, the Giants biggest cheerleader slappin’ high fives to his teammates. AWESOME! These guys are feelin’ it!!!!!!!!
And here it is, pre-game festivities, intro. of the WHOLE team, down to the locker room attendents, one of which has been a friend since I worked with the Giants back in 1999, National Anthem, courtesy of JOHN LEGEND, field length/width American Flag unveiling, fly over, fireworks – It was the first time I had real chills and it was AMAZING.
I’m not going to re-cap the game….you all watched it, but I will say that after the Bad News Bears first inning and then dragging Tony Bennett onto the field screwed with my emotions. My brain was trying to wrap itself around the fact that Lincecum couldn’t figure out where to throw the ball and get an out and that we couldn’t score any runs that first inning, my heart had sunk. Then I’m supposed to get all sentimental when Tony sang “I Left My Heart in SF” (which he sang beautifully for an 84-year-old, I’m serious folks.) I was really confused. I know people said it was the turning point of the game, but I’m still perplexed of the timing of it all.
I want to give a shout out to the dudes sitting next to my mom and I. One of the reasons I started Urban Baseball Chick was because I know a lot about baseball and the Giants. I love it. It’s mostly useless information that I spew or impart to friends, family, bar buddies and newbies when it’s warranted. Jason and David who were sitting next to me, Hawaiian natives, living in the Bay for about 3 years were jawing with me about the game and were asking me a ton of questions about the players and who was who which was fun. Totally re-confirmed why Urban Baseball Chick must exist. In return, they shared their flask of booze and offered to take photo’s of my mom and I with our camera. They were good guys havin’ a blast at the game and it was fun to impart Giants baseball wisdom to them. Good times.
Back on the bus ride home, several people were getting on board talking about the game, me included, chatting up about how GREAT Freddy Sanchez played! Love Freddy!! One of the stops along the way is right in front of the St. Francis which is where the Rangers are staying. As we approached, their team bus was parked in front of us and the guys and their families were walking off, heads down. I felt a tinge of sadness for them. But then I remembered that it’s only 1 game out of 7 and we have a lot more work to do and oh yeah, I’M A GIANTS FAN!!!! Suck it Rangers!!!!!
Hopped on the bus round 2:30 p.m., don’t have the tix yet and still don’t believe that I’m really going, but had faith.
My stop was up, and headed down 3rd Street to the park
There’s that feeling…..after you cross Mission St. when heading to a game, you start joining fellow Giants fans as they start pouring in from other streets, parking garages, buses, etc. There’s just an unsaid unity as you walk to the ballpark.
A gentlemen on my left caught up with me, turned to me and said “You heading to the game?” with the enthusiasm of a 10-year-old but the face of a 46-year-old. “ Yes,” I said…….he replies “This is so exciting!” I replied “ It’s gonna be great!”……although I was still not sure if I was ultimately getting in.
I’m truckin’ along down 3rd street with intense focus and dodging casual walkers, ticket scalpers, and merchant vendors. I’m on a mission, don’t get in my way.
“Nice boots” I hear passing up a dude on my right. “Thanks” I say. Even compliments won’t slow me down.
Congested isn’t the word that does justice to what Willie Mays Plaza looked like an hour and a half prior to first pitch. It was a sea of beards, born again Christians, “Let Timmy Smoke” supporters, clowns, hippies, Ranger fans, cops, cameramen, reporters, and ME looking for my mom. Eeeek!
Walking all over looking for ma’……Found Her!!!! Thank god for the bright green backpack she decided to bring along. I had two requests for her and she came through; 1 bag of peanuts and some binoculars. Score…..she brought that and some other treats! Oh, and thank goodness she brought her camera because guess what, I whipped mine out to start taking photo’s and the battery died. GAME OVER.
We’re supposed to do the ticket hand off at 3:45…..it’s 3:40 and no word. I’m a little nervous.
3:47 – no word…….a little sweaty.
3:50 – There’s my Giant’s Fairy Godmother………and there are the two tickets! We’re in!
I’ve walked up the ramp from the Willie Mays gate a million times, and probably over a dozen times this season, but this time was completely different. It finally hit me as we passed up the first level, then Club level, that my mom and I were walking into a new element. This is the World Series. Holy Sh*&!
We finally get to our seats and the field is a mad house. Tons of media, lights, camera’s and there’s this funky camera they’ve anchored above the seats that’s basically on a zip line kind of apparatus. Fully controlled somewhere else in this madhouse.
I turn to my mom and ask “I wonder who’s singing the National Anthem?” She looks at me with a bit of a blank stare and says “Oh, I think I heard it’s John Legend.” WHAT!!?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW??????? JOHN LEGEND….THAT’S MY FUTURE BABIES DADDY. As soon as I heard this, someone could have thrown me off the View Reserved deck. I really could have skipped the game, watched Legend and died. WHA????!!!!!!!
The boys are filtering into the dugout and there’s Sergio Romo, or as my Giant’s homie and I call him, Garden Knomo (cause duh, he looks like a Garden Knome) is totally getting down in the dugout to whatever song is blaring over the PA system @ AT&T. These guys are ready to rock. I see Pablo, the Giants biggest cheerleader slappin’ high fives to his teammates. AWESOME! These guys are feelin’ it!!!!!!!!
And here it is, pre-game festivities, intro. of the WHOLE team, down to the locker room attendents, one of which has been a friend since I worked with the Giants back in 1999, National Anthem, courtesy of JOHN LEGEND, field length/width American Flag unveiling, fly over, fireworks – It was the first time I had real chills and it was AMAZING.
I’m not going to re-cap the game….you all watched it, but I will say that after the Bad News Bears first inning and then dragging Tony Bennett onto the field screwed with my emotions. My brain was trying to wrap itself around the fact that Lincecum couldn’t figure out where to throw the ball and get an out and that we couldn’t score any runs that first inning, my heart had sunk. Then I’m supposed to get all sentimental when Tony sang “I Left My Heart in SF” (which he sang beautifully for an 84-year-old, I’m serious folks.) I was really confused. I know people said it was the turning point of the game, but I’m still perplexed of the timing of it all.
I want to give a shout out to the dudes sitting next to my mom and I. One of the reasons I started Urban Baseball Chick was because I know a lot about baseball and the Giants. I love it. It’s mostly useless information that I spew or impart to friends, family, bar buddies and newbies when it’s warranted. Jason and David who were sitting next to me, Hawaiian natives, living in the Bay for about 3 years were jawing with me about the game and were asking me a ton of questions about the players and who was who which was fun. Totally re-confirmed why Urban Baseball Chick must exist. In return, they shared their flask of booze and offered to take photo’s of my mom and I with our camera. They were good guys havin’ a blast at the game and it was fun to impart Giants baseball wisdom to them. Good times.
Back on the bus ride home, several people were getting on board talking about the game, me included, chatting up about how GREAT Freddy Sanchez played! Love Freddy!! One of the stops along the way is right in front of the St. Francis which is where the Rangers are staying. As we approached, their team bus was parked in front of us and the guys and their families were walking off, heads down. I felt a tinge of sadness for them. But then I remembered that it’s only 1 game out of 7 and we have a lot more work to do and oh yeah, I’M A GIANTS FAN!!!! Suck it Rangers!!!!!
"SUCK IT RANGERS".....is right!
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